The Name BLUEBAGS - it's origin.

[Quigs]

Quigs here - an old league tragic.

I am an old and mad Sharks supporter but had a Grandfather from Sydneyham who was a one eyed bluebags supporter. The poor old bugger did have one eye too. He never forgave the filthy Stains for stealing Johnny Raper off you.


My old Pop used to tell me yarn after yarn about his beloved Bluebags. His favorite was Old Bumper.

Okay enough of my reminiscing. Long story short.

I had one of the youngens in the Sharks Room ask me about the name Bluebags and where it originated from.

My old memory is vague but did it have something to do with the depression and the bags the blokes used to carry around newtown and Marrickville area in those times. As mentioned I was told the story a long long time ago.

I am always willing to pass on information to the youngens that want to know about the "real" rugby league. Not the crap it is today.

Cheers - thanks in advance - and enjoy the rest of the season
Quigs

 

[newtownbluebags]

Greetings Quigs

Old sugar bags roughly cut into the shape of jerseys & dyed blue back in the very early days is where I believe the name originated.

 

[Quigs]

thank you my friend

nice avator.

Cheers
Quigs

 

[Henson Park Hornets]

From what I understand that is a bit of a myth the whole sugar bags dyed blue.

According to RL1908

At its inaugural meeting the Newtown members resolved to continue wearing the 'royal blue' jersey of the rugby union club. Newtown fared modestly in Rugby League's first season finishing sixth out of the nine clubs

So it is possible that the Union club had jerseys that were dyed blue made from old sugar bags, but I think it's doubtful.

In the AFL Carltion are also known as the Bluebags because of their navy blue strip, so it's my guess that the term "bluebags" was just a common Australian nickname for any team that wore predominatly blue.

 

[The Dawson Twins Minus 1]

Is it possible no-one here is old enough (as I am) to remember the old "blue bags" that housewives used to put in their white wash?

If I recall, I saw them still on sale about 10 years ago in a supermarket.

The most common / popular brand was Reckitt's.

Here's a page on them: http://www.oldandinteresting.com/laundry-blue.aspx

 

[The Dawson Twins Minus 1]

Oh, and here's an ABC radio Canberra page on the subject:

http://www.abc.net.au/canberra/stories/s1749791.htm

 

[newtownbluebags]

remember it well & also remember hearing a story of a reckitts blue style mascot from long ago? a picture of that, if it ever existed, would be something

 

[2 True Blues]

In the Grand Finals in the 50`s, we had a Reckitt`s "bluebag " running around the ground as our mascot.
[ If you put the bluebag into water, the water comes out the same colour as our jerseys.]

 

[2 True Blues]

In the Grand Finals in the 50`s, we had a Reckitt`s bluebag running around the ground as our mascot.
[When the bluebag is put into water, the water tuns the colour of our jerseys.]

 

[bluebayou]

Like others, none of us are old enough to know the real story. I've been told by my parents and grandparents about the sugarbag story which they reckon is true, but that the reckitts bluebag thing is just word association. Probably no-one really knows though.